In a press briefing held on Thursday, US President Joe Biden announced the vaccine distribution plan. He announced the first details of the US sending 80 million Covid19 vaccines overseas with the stated aim of “ending the pandemic globally.”
The President stated that US will donate 75% of its unused vaccines against Covid19 to the UN-backed COVAX facility, which is facilitating distribution of vaccine to all people across the world.
The White House stated that out of the first tranche of 25 million doses, about 19 million will go to the COVAX, with around 6 million allocated for South and Central America, 7 million allocated for Asia and 5 million for Africa. In Africa, US would be working in coordination with the African centre for Disease control and prevention. White House further stated that the remaining doses, just over 6 million, will be shared directly with countries experiencing surges and other partners and neighbours including Canada, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Gaza, Ukraine, Kosovo, Haiti, Georgia, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, India as well as for United Nations frontline workers.
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The US administration led by Joe Biden has been under a lot of pressure to provide vaccines and other necessary aid to various nations that have been hard-hit by the pandemic. Experts and observers from various organizations and countries have implored US administration to provide such hard-hit nations with its abundant supply of vaccines. At a White House briefing, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that some of the initial doses would go to India, Gaza and the West Bank and other nations and areas facing crises.
In the statement, Biden stated that the first 25 million of the vaccines would be given to lay the ground for increased global coverage. White House pointed out that it aims to share 80 million doses globally by June-end, mostly through Covax. It added that 25% of the nation’s excess will be kept in reserve for emergencies and for the US to share directly with allies and partners.
President Biden added in the statement that as long as the pandemic is raging anywhere in the world, American people will still be vulnerable. He further added that US is committed to bringing the same urgency to international vaccination efforts that has been demonstrated inside US.
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NSA Jake Sullivan added that US will retain the say on where the doses distributed through Covax ultimately go.
Sullivan said, “We are not seeking to extract concessions, we are not extorting, we are not imposing conditions the way that other countries who are providing doses are doing; we are doing none of those things.”
He further added, “These are doses that are being given, donated free and clear to these countries, for the sole purpose of improving the public health situation and helping end the pandemic.”
Statement given by Biden also stressed that his administration supports temporary waiving of intellectual property rights for Covid19 vaccines.
In separate calls with Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador, President Alejandro Giammattei of Guatemala, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago, US Vice President Kamala Harris informed that the countries will be receiving vaccine doses, beginning June-end. In the coming week, Vice president Harris would be visiting Guatemala and Mexico.
Many countries have requested vaccine doses from the United States. But till now, only Mexico and Canada have received a combined 4.5 million doses.
US administration also announced plans to share enough vaccine shots with South Korea to vaccinate its 550000 troops who are serving alongside American service members on the peninsula. One million shots of Jansen vaccine manufactured by Johnson & Johnson have been shipped to South Korea, on Thursday, said White House Covid19 coordinator Jeff Zients.
